Who is Jay Scrubb? A dive into the Celtics' Summer League standout
While the Boston Celtics’ 2023 Summer League run came to an end by failing to advance to the playoffs, their stretch doesn’t come without some silver linings. One of the most prominent has been Jay Scrubb, who caught the attention of fans with consistent high-scoring performances through his first four games.
Scrubb was taken with the 55th pick in the 2020 draft by the Brooklyn Nets after spending two years at John A. Logan Community College in Illinois. However, he was quickly traded to the LA Clippers, where he spent his first two seasons in the league.
Jay Scrubb has had a slow start to his career at the highest level
Scrubb hasn’t gotten many opportunities at the NBA level, participating in just 24 games over three seasons, with the most being 18 in 2021-22. His career has seen him average 4.0 points, 1.5 rebounds and 0.4 assists per game.
After being waived by the Clippers in the 2022 offseason, Scrubb found his way back onto a roster by signing a two-way contract with the Orlando Magic. While only getting minutes in two regular season games for the team, he shined more for their G League affiliate, the Lakeland Magic, last year. There, Scrubb put up 21.8 ppg, 5.6 rpg and 2.3 apg on 45.0% shooting.
Over the last week for Boston, Scrubb has made a case for himself to ink a long-term deal with the Celtics. During this Summer League stint, was the second-highest scorer in every game despite not starting a single time. Perhaps his most impressive feat has been shooting 50.0% (8-16) from 3-point range despite only making 28.9% of his attempts last season for Lakeland.
Standing 6-foot-5, this 22-year-old shooting guard could provide help at the wing position for Boston, an area in which they are currently lackluster. The only depth chart notables after Jaylen Brown and Jayston Tatum as of now are Jordan Walsh, Oshae Brissett and Sam Hauser.
Trading for support for the Celtics’ two biggest stars is still on the table, but all has been quiet on that front for the past couple weeks. If no other swaps are made, Jay Scrubb might become a valuable piece after his impressive recent showing.